Concern at elderly in lock units
Anumber of elderly New Zealanders are in secure dementia units even though they have not consented to their living arrangements, a report has found.
The Human Rights Commission report, issued today, raises legal and ethical issues around elderly care.
The publication, This Is Not My Home, considers questions which arise around care for the elderly when the arrangements are settled without the person’s consent.
The papers were prepared for a series of seminars and workshops relating to care of psycho-geriatric patients in New Zealand.
The report finds many residents in care lack the capacity to make decisions about where they would prefer to live. Instead, others are making decisions for them.
Disability Rights Commissioner and acting Chief Human Rights Commissioner Paula Tesoriero said the report was “concerning to read”.
The 88-page report identifies serious issues around the current legislative framework and associated policy and
aylpractices in the industry.
It found around 5000 elderly New Zealanders are homed in secure dementia units and psycho-geriatric facilities, many of whom did not give consent to live there.
Service clinical director for Liaison Psychiatry and Mental Health Services for Older People at Auckland DHB, Dr Mark Fisher, uncovered concerns from industry leaders about living consents.
He found there were about 34,000 aged residential care (ARC) beds, with around 5 per cent of the over 65 population in care at any time, 14 per cent of those aged over 80 in care and 50 per cent of those were aged over 90.
Fisher’s report said there was growing concern among managers and clinicians at DHBs and ARC provider organisations about the scenario.
One case cited a middleaged woman in a locked dementia unit without legal authority, despite her recovering capacity and requests to leave.
In many situations there was no clear lawful basis for detaining individuals in secure care facilities. The authors want a Law Commission review with consumers and the health and disability sector. When Martin and Leanne Lambert realised they could never afford to buy a house in their home city in Auckland, they set about doing some research.
And Rotorua came out tops.
Martin, an osteopath, and Leanne, who works in a funeral home, needed to live somewhere where their careers could develop and their 4-year-old son, Ben, could go to school and make friends. They hopped on the Stats NZ website and researched populations, median incomes, fact sheets on different regions’ industries and job opportunities.
“We needed a decent population, access to the outdoors, a reasonable town centre where we can get everything we wanted and Rotorua was like ‘wow, okay. Let’s go check out Rotorua’.”
There were lots of reasons Rotorua won them over.
“It seemed a bit more laid back. We considered Hamilton and Tauranga and it was ‘no’, it didn’t feel as comfortable
aand homely as Rotorua.” Born and bred in Auckland, they wanted to settle down and own their own home. “We’re not millionaires and options and opportunities were nil in Auckland. Cheap houses don’t exist there any more. Even for half a million you only get a one bedroom apartment close to nothing.”
The family arrived in Rotorua in June last year and rented to get the feel of where they wanted to buy. Martin said they noticed the prices had risen in that time, but they were pleased they waited.
Their new home is in Kawaha Point and they moved in on Wednesday last week.
“The price we paid is doable and reflective of the market now but we had to offer at the very top of our budget to get it . . . We noticed at some open homes there were 50 people and heard investors asking ‘what’s the market rental like?’. We felt the pressure as first home buyers wanting a family home.”
“We’ve got no regrets, and no we’re not going back to Auckland.”